


The Good Doctor

by Rroselavy



Category: Saiyuki
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-17
Updated: 2012-09-17
Packaged: 2017-11-14 11:21:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/514698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rroselavy/pseuds/Rroselavy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While cat-sitting for his friend, Nalin Stone finds love in an usual place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Good Doctor

**Author's Note:**

  * For [genkisakka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/genkisakka/gifts).



> Written for the 5th Annual 7th Night Saiyuki Gift!Fic Exchange, hosted on Dreamwidth (7thnight_smut.dreamwidth.org). Thank you, Genkisakka, for an awesome prompt! With much love to my beta, Samsarapine.

THERE WAS something wrong with the cat. 

Nalin first noticed it by her absence, and then, as he tried to remember when he’d seen her last he panicked -- searching the tiny apartment three times before he found her, hiding under the farthest corner of the bed. If he hadn’t touched her and felt her warmth, he would have been certain she was dead.

As it was, Jason was going to kill him. He was supposed to be taking care of the cat, not neglecting her to near death. It didn’t matter that he’d fed her and watered her and made sure her litter pan was clean. The cat was barely breathing and Jason would only care that she’d died on Nalin’s watch.

Jason had left no instructions for what he should do should something happen to Miss Kitty. There was no animal hospital magnet or business card stuck on the refrigerator. Nalin knew this without searching because he’d already availed himself of the 7 different take-out restaurants that were good enough to have earned a spot on Jason’s otherwise unadorned refrigerator. Unadorned, except for that one photo of him and his latest boyfriend -- Benjamin. In it, Jason was smiling and it was a genuine grin, not the tight little smirk he usually pasted on his face when he was suffering some idiot’s indulgence. Nalin was truly happy that Jason was in love and it was reciprocated, even though he thought Benjamin was a bit of a dick (Benjamin had not helped his cause when he turned Nalin’s name into a dirty joke). 

He remembered then that he’d seen a veterinary clinic in the neighborhood. He scoured his memory -- he hadn’t ventured out much so it must have been on his way to one of the liquor stores he’d visited in search of a decent, reasonably-priced bottle of wine (he couldn’t believe what the wine merchants tried to pass off as decent), and after a few moments he remembered it was just a few blocks away, on the corner of Greenwich and Fourteenth.

The next crisis was how to get the cat there. He couldn’t very well sling her over his shoulder (well he could, but then he’d be a walking indictment of neglect). Another ransacking of the apartment brought Nalin up empty-handed; he finally settled for a pillowcase as transport out of desperation.

The thought of calling ahead didn’t even cross his mind until the storefront was within his sight. This was after Miss Kitty had pissed herself, the pillowcase, and him. Fortunately the lights were on and the door was unlocked. A bell actually jingled as he stepped inside.

He was greeted by the intense scent of ammonia that burnt the insides of his nose. The tiled floor of the reception area was a dazzling white, though it was already being dusted with the yellowish-red fur of a huge dog that Nalin vaguely recognized as a golden retriever, though why he should know that he hadn’t a clue. The animal was visibly trembling and whining as it paced the small area. It snuffled Nalin’s crotch before its owner finally reeled it back in on a retractable leash. From within the bag, Miss Kitty began to growl ferociously.

Nalin’s eyes began to itch and a tickle lodged itself deep up inside his nose. It began to run and he silently cursed to himself for not taking a couple of Benadryls before he left the apartment. He dangled his package in one hand and slightly away from his body and approached the tall counter that a receptionist was sitting behind. As he did so, a large striped cat jumped up to greet him. It walked in front of him, its tail rubbing his face under his nose.

This caused Nalin to sneeze several times in succession, but he managed to speak in between.

“I … need … to … see … the vet.”

The receptionist looked up from her computer screen. She had wide-set green eyes that peeked out from under orange bangs in what Nalin guessed was probably a perpetual state of surprise that some men might find attractive.

“Do you have an appointment?”

He lifted the pillowcase and rested the cat on the counter. The other cat sniffed at the now-wriggling form curiously.

“No, it’s an emergency.”

“Have you been here before?”

Nalin reached for the tissues that were perched at the corner of the counter, sneezed a couple of more times then blew his nose.

“No.” The sneezing resumed, and he grabbed more tissues.

“You’ll need to fill out some forms, then.” She held out a clipboard, patiently waiting for Nalin to take it. A ballpoint pen dangled from a ball chain attached to the pincer. The cat bumped Nalin’s arm and then walked in front of him again. He jerked his head back; this time its tail brushed against his chin.

“Look, I’m not the owner. I’m just cat-sitting for a friend and I think the she’s dying.”

The girl’s eyes grew impossibly wide. “Your friend is dying?”

“No! The cat,” he gritted.

“Oh!” She glanced at the pillowcase then back to Nalin, then to the pillowcase again. “You’re still responsible for the bill,” she said archly. Before Nalin could respond, she picked up the telephone receiver and began punching in some numbers on the keypad. 

“Is Doctor Drew in yet?” She glanced up at Nalin again, this time with an expression of cool appraisal. Under normal circumstances, Nalin wouldn’t have cared less, but now he became acutely aware of what he must look like. He hadn’t shaved in days, and it had probably been that long since he’d brushed his hair. His clothes, which were relatively fresh -- he’d put them on yesterday -- now stunk of cat piss, and, not that she could see, he wasn’t even wearing a decent pair of shoes. He’d thrown on Jason’s flip flops because he’d been barefoot for most of the week and in his panic to get Miss Kitty help, they were the only footwear he could find. “Okay. We have an emergency walk-in,” she said before returning the receiver to the cradle. “Just have a seat and fill out the forms,” she said to him.

Just then the door jingled, signaling a new arrival.

“Sorry I’m late, Jessica!” A kid -- he couldn’t be a day more than eighteen -- burst through it, into the waiting area. The energy in the room changed. The dog, who’d not yet settled was now at the end of his leash straining -- not for the door, though. He let out a friendly _woof_. “Henry!” the newcomer exclaimed. “What’re you doing here?” He scratched the massive head affectionately. Nalin made a break for the opposite end of a U-shaped bench that hugged the perimeter of the waiting area, hefting Miss Kitty with him. The other cat jumped down from the counter and followed.

“We’re just here for a check-up today,” the dog’s owner replied brightly.

The kid reached for the dog’s leash.

“We’ve got an emergency walk-in, too, and we’re booked solid today,” Jessica volunteered, her tone slightly annoyed.

“Okay,” he sobered up. “Sorry Henry, you’re going to have to wait a few minutes more.” He turned to Jessica with a sheepish look on his face, “I’ll get set up.” With that, he walked past the counter and toward the interior of the office. The cat stopped rubbing Nalin’s legs and trotted after him, its tail high in the air.

Nalin puzzled through the forms. Once he got past ‘Pet’s Name,’ he was at a loss. He had no idea how old she was or when she’d last been seen by a veterinarian. 

“Excuse me, sir, do you have a credit card?” Jessica was leaning over the counter, looking at him. Just then another guy appeared from the back. He was wearing light blue hospital scrubs.

“Who’s the emergency?” he called out, glancing around the room, his dreadlocks -- held in a loose ponytail -- swung about with his head.

“Right there.” Jessica pointed at Nalin.

“Would you come with me, sir?” he asked. Nalin juggled the paperwork and the cat.

“I’m not finished --“

“It’s okay, you can finish the paperwork in the examining room.” Now that Nalin was standing, he could see the technician was a Goliath of a man. Nalin followed him down the corridor to an examining room.

The room was tiny but immaculate. Along the far wall was a light grey Formica counter over which frosted glass cabinets were hung. The supplies visible inside were neatly arranged. A stainless steel table dominated the rest of the space, projecting from the wall opposite the door. A separate door led to what looked to be a lab of some sort. The technician took the cat, pillowcase and all, off to another room to weigh her, leaving Nalin alone to fill out the forms. He sat down on a plastic chair against the near wall and hurriedly filled out what information he could.

“The doctor should be right in,” the tech said when he returned with Miss Kitty. He put her on the examination table and held on to the pillowcase.

The vet, it turned out, was the kid Nalin had just seen in the waiting room. He strode in, wrapping his stethoscope around his neck. Ignoring Nalin, he addressed the technician.

“Let’s see what we’ve got here, Danny.”

The technician who towered over the vet and who could probably crush small animals with his bare hands gently eased Miss Kitty out of the pillowcase. She wobbled unsteadily and made a weak attempt at escape.

“Uh-uh-unh,” the vet clucked. “You’re staying put.” The giant clamped a paw around Miss Kitty’s neck. 

“How long has she been like this?” the vet asked Nalin, pinning him like a helpless moth under an intense, gold-eyed gaze. He was clean-shaven, and under his lab coat he wore a crisp white button-down shirt, open at the throat. Nalin couldn’t have felt more scruffier. Still, there wasn’t a hint of condescension in the vet’s tone.

“I--I’m not sure. A couple of days, maybe?” 

“A couple of days?”

Nalin thought he detected a hint of incredulousness. It put him on the defensive. “I’m cat-sitting for a friend,” he offered. It was a lame defense and Nalin fully expected to be castigated for neglect.

“Oh. It’s very kind of you to bring her in,” the doctor said instead.

Nalin searched the vet’s expression for a hint of sarcasm. Their eyes locked for a moment before the vet put his stethoscope to his ears and listened to Miss Kitty’s heartbeat. He pulled his hand away and lifted his fingers to sniff them. “Eww,” he exclaimed, wrinkling his nose. “I’m gonna have to do a blood test to confirm, but it looks like diabetes. Judging from the condition she’s in now, she’s probably been sick for a while. How long’ve you been cat-sitting?”

That was just great. Nalin had been so engrossed with his research, he hadn’t even noticed she was sick for _a while_. 

“What day is it?” he asked, then remembered without prompting. “A week.”

“Uh huh. Usually it comes on slowly. Most owners don’t even know until their pet gets to this state.” The vet pointed at Miss Kitty. “Disorientated, not in control of her bladder. Didja notice she was drinking a lot? Hold her steady, Danny.”

Nalin shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

“Was her bowl dry a lot?” 

He watched as the vet took out a couple of vials and a plastic package from a drawer underneath the examining table, tore open the package and produced a needle. 

Nalin looked away quickly when he realized what was going to happen. Miss Kitty growled, long and low. The sound escalated to a loud, affronted yowl. “N-now that I think of it, yeah she was drinking a lot of water, and using the box a lot, too.”

The vet nodded. “Just a couple of more seconds and you’re done,” he crooned.

Nalin couldn’t bring himself to look at the needle and tube of blood so he focused on the vet’s face instead. It was a study of concentration. The way the vet behaved, Nalin could tell that he enjoyed his job and he seemed pretty competent at it. 

He looked up at Nalin with a concerned expression.

“You allergic to cats?”

“Yes.” He reached for a tissue on a nearby counter and blew his nose.

“You’re a real good friend.” The vet smiled, showing an even row of brilliant white teeth.

“Thanks.” Nalin replied uncertainly. He wasn’t used to being complimented.

“Like I said, diabetes is kinda sneaky. It’s not like you would have noticed anything until she got this way -- especially since she’s not your cat.”

“So what happens now?” Nalin ventured. He was feeling somewhat vindicated by the vet’s assurances.

“I’ll need to keep her for observation and to start her on insulin. When she’s feeling better, she can go home. She’ll probably need it regularly. Danny, take …” he looked askance at Nalin.

“Miss Kitty.”

“Miss Kitty to the inpatient unit and start an IV drip. She needs rehydration.” 

Nalin appreciated that the vet didn’t react in any way to the cat’s name. “She kind of inherited her name by default.”

“I’ve heard worse.” He favored Nalin with another toothy grin. 

They were alone now. Nalin put the clipboard he’d been holding onto the examining table. “I filled this out as best I could.”

“Oh good. I’m sure when your friend comes back we can get the rest of the information -- that is, if she doesn’t already have a vet she takes Miss Kitty to.” The vet pumped some hand sanitizer into his palm and rubbed his hands together.

“He,” Nalin volunteered.

“Oh. My bad.” The vet’s smile faltered briefly before regaining its megawattage.

“He won’t be back for a couple of weeks, so I’m going to need to take care of this,” Nalin added. 

“Okay, Mister --“ he held out his hand to shake Nalin’s.

“Stone,” Nalin reciprocated with some trepidation. The handshake was perfectly firm. It transmitted confidence and self-assurance. It was the kind of handshake that some men practiced for decades without ever managing competency.

“Doctor Drew. ‘ts’okay, I can wash up again,” he added, sensing Nalin’s reluctance. “We’ll call you with an update.” Nalin glanced down to Doctor Drew’s left hand and noticed his ring finger was bare.

Doctor Drew gingerly picked up the pillowcase. “You might want to consider a more substantial carrier.”

“I’m sure Jason -- my friend -- has one for the cat; I just didn’t want to waste any time looking for it,” he lied.

“If you can’t find it, we have cardboard ones here. Just ask Jessica when you come back.” He ushered Nalin toward the waiting room. In the interim, two other clients had shown up. 

Nalin felt like he was being rushed out the door. “One more thing, Doctor … Drew. Do you think I should call my friend and let him know what’s going on?”

“Jason?” Doctor Drew shrugged. “I’d probably wait until we have more news and a plan of action.”

That sounded good to Nalin. Hopefully, everything would be fine; Jason would come home to a healthy cat and Nalin could return to his winery with a clear conscience.

Jason was Nalin’s oldest and only friend. They had met as freshmen in college and had bonded almost instantaneously over their shared orphan background. There were some differences: Nalin had been left on his own more recently than Jason and was an only child; Jason was a twin. His sister, Julia, married a cop right out of high school moved to Westchester. She’d already had a kid by the time Nalin met Jason. Coincidentally, it was her husband’s younger brother that Jason was currently dating. Benjamin had just returned from points west. Jason had told Nalin what Ben had been doing out west and Nalin had immediately forgotten it. In the few months since they’d begun dating, Benjamin had become an (unwanted) appendage; scarcely a conversation could be had with Jason without Nalin being regaled with Benjamin’s awesomeness, or Jason referring to something clever Benjamin had observed or Benjamin himself attempting to be awesome and clever at Nalin’s expense. It was harmless, really, but it irked Nalin and truthfully, Nalin knew he was more than just a little jealous of their relationship.

Nalin knew from an early age that he wasn’t ‘boyfriend’ material. He was surly, he was unsympathetic and, more often than not, he was tactless. He liked himself that way. He didn’t suffer fools and rarely got sucked into anyone else’s drama. Despite those traits, he could turn on the charm when necessary, which was particularly fortuitous in his line of work, and had been no small aid in positioning Stone Cellars as an up-and-coming world-class vineyard.

It didn’t hurt that he was strikingly handsome, too -- unruly blond hair that feathered about his face, blue eyes so deep in color that they appeared violet, high cheekbones and a strong jaw all served to bring him (mostly) unwanted attention. As far as his physique, Nalin wasn’t overly muscular, but he’d never been allergic to hard work and he kept fit with a regular regimen of karate, which doubled as more than adequate self-defense on the few occasions that his mouth got him into trouble.

It was easy to tell in retrospect, that in spite of his disheveled appearance, Doctor Drew had been attracted to him. As Nalin walked back to the apartment, he ran the entire meeting in his head, from the moment Doctor Drew stepped into the office until the final hand on his shoulder as Nalin was leaving.

Doctor Drew was handsome in a cute, very boyish way. He was probably carded at every bar he ever stepped into. He was shorter than Nalin by nearly a head and had a slender build. Normally, the kind of forwardness Doctor Drew displayed and his sunny demeanor would have become firmly lodged under Nalin’s skin as an irritation. Maybe it was because he was nursing the wound of losing Jason’s friendship -- or rather -- accommodating a new significant other in Jason’s life that had Nalin thinking about Doctor Drew in very different terms. At least that’s what Nalin told himself as he thought about the tawny real estate that disappeared underneath the dual whiteness of Doctor Drew’s shirt and lab coat. Either way, it was a lot more pleasant to daydream about Doctor Drew than think about the cat piss soaking into his skin.

 

_BRRINNG_! _BRRRINNG_! 

Nalin pressed the speaker and answered his cell phone distractedly. 

“Yeah.”

He’d been reading his email, which consisted mainly of operations updates and the results of weekly soil testing. He was reading a research report from his vineyard manager analyzing the soil from an adjacent tract of land he was interested in buying to eventually expand the business. He wanted to try planting a small plot of cabernet vines. Smart money said that the climate on the East End of Long Island was not conducive to the grape, but his research and vineyard manager had been telling him otherwise.

Yvette had been a fantastic find. Her father had been a legend in Burgundy wine-making region and she’d inherited his near mystical talents. Stone Cellars employees loved working for her, too. She oozed compassion. She was integral to Nalin’s operations not only because of those qualities, but also because she managed to smooth over much of his abrasiveness. She was his perfect foil and standard date whenever he needed to attend a social function as part of a couple. Nalin was in no way attempting to fool anyone about the nature of their relationship, but the fact that they did go to social occasions together spoke volumes about Yvette’s loyalty to Stone Cellars and the esteem in which she was held by Nalin.

There was a pause at the other end of the call, which brought Nalin out of his fog. “Is this Mr. Stone?”

“Yes.” Nalin sat back in his chair and stretched his neck muscles. He checked the time. He’d been hunched over his laptop for several hours. He removed his eyeglasses and rubbed his eyes.

“Oh, hi! This is Doctor Drew.” 

Instantly, Nalin was alert.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yes, yes! I just wanted to let you know Miss Kitty is feeling much better. You can come visit her if you like.”

Nalin looked at the phone and watched the seconds tick off. 

“Hello?” the disembodied voice asked. Doctor Drew had a pleasant phone voice, there was a very slight rasp that gave it character.

“I’m here,” Nalin replied. “Is that what people usually do?”

There was another pause and in the silence Nalin mentally face-palmed. Of course _normal_ people would be interested in their pet’s wellbeing. 

“Well, I know she’s not your cat, but you seemed so concerned earlier …” Doctor Drew’s voice trailed off.

Nalin decided he could use some fresh air and it would be good to see how the cat was faring on the off-chance Jason checked in.

“Okay, I’ll be by in a few minutes.” 

“Great!” Nalin heard a female voice in the background. “Oh! One more thing -- couldya bring a credit card? We need an imprint on file. I should have asked you earlier, but I forgot.”

Nalin shrugged, then realized the doctor was still waiting for an answer. This time, at least, he was more presentable than when they first met. “No problem.” 

On his way to the clinic Nalin stopped at the liquor store to get Doctor Drew a token for his service. He picked up a 2007 Trivento malbec. It was a consistently good wine at a steal of a price and it paired well with steak, which Nalin figured was a safe bet. If Doctor Drew knew anything about wine, he’d appreciate the bargain.

He was ushered directly into the examination room when he got to the clinic. Doctor Drew was already waiting there.

“I brought you this as a thank you.” Nalin placed the bottle on the table.

“Wine?” Doctor Drew looked baffled and, for a moment Nalin thought he was going to refuse the gift. “I’m more of a beer kinda guy,” the doctor added sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t know the first thing about the rules of wine.”

“The first rule about wine is drink what you like.” Nalin tried to hide his disappointment. Doctor Drew picked up the bottle.

“It’s a nice label,” he said, setting it down. “Hey! I’ve got an idea, you could help me drink it.”

There it was. As a pick up line it was goofy and awkward and Nalin couldn’t think of a reason to say no.

“All right.” 

“Is tonight good for you?”

Nalin thought for a second about the state of the apartment. Jason’s housekeeper had been in that morning, so the place was in good shape.

“What time do you get off?” he asked.

“Seven or so -- depends on when the last consult is done.”

“Is eight okay?”

“Yes. That’ll give me a chance to answer any phone calls.”

“My place?”

“Sure! Is it the address we have on file?”

“Yes. Do you eat steak?”

“Do I ever!”

Nalin stifled the laugh that threatened a little too late for Doctor Drew to miss it. The atmosphere in the room relaxed with the exchange and he felt a little better about the miss on the wine bottle. Jason would be proud of him; he was putting himself “out there.”

He waited somewhat patiently with Doctor Drew for Danny to bring Miss Kitty out for him to see. Her indignant yowls preceded her arrival. The change in her condition was nothing short of miraculous. Her striped fur, which had been looking matted and dirty, was now smooth and glistening. 

She hissed at each one of them. Doctor Drew petted her, oblivious to the growing volume of pissed-off sounds Miss Kitty was making.

“She’s feeling a lot better,” the doctor remarked. “We cleaned her up a bit, too. That should encourage her to start grooming herself again.”

“She looks much better,” Nalin agreed. He held his hand out for her to sniff. She hissed and spit at him. “She doesn’t like me much.” The feeling was mutual, but Nalin didn’t think Doctor Drew needed to know that.

“She’s probably just out of sorts with her owner being away and all.”

Nalin left Doctor Drew to his illusions. On his way home he stopped at a butcher and green grocer to prepare a decent meal and told himself that the growing anticipation he was feeling was because of the excellent teaching opportunity Doctor Drew represented, not because he found him remotely attractive.

 

DOCTOR DREW was late. Nalin thought to call the clinic to find out if he was delayed, but then thought the better of it. He didn’t want to appear clingy; or worse, desperate.

Still, the guy could have called him to let him know he was going to be delayed. Everything was prepped and waiting. A bottle of white was chilling in the refrigerator -- a Finger Lakes riesling from the Ravines winery. It was a little closer to home for Nalin, but not close enough to be personal if it turned out Doctor Drew hated wine. This bottle had come from Jason’s under-the-counter wine cellar. The Ravines was a little boutique winery they’d discovered the previous summer on a roadtrip-slash-wine tour of the Finger Lakes region. They’d ended up buying a case of the stuff and had since split another. 

He thought about running to the corner bodega to get a six-pack of beer, but then the apartment buzzer rang. Nalin’s heartbeat sped up a little as he pressed the reciprocal buzzer to unlock the door to his building. Then he left the door to the apartment ajar and went back into the kitchen. His stomach was doing flip-flops and he was irritated with himself for feeling so nervous.

Jason’s apartment was tiny by any other standards than New York City. The entryway opened directly into the living room; off to the right was a short hallway that led to the bedroom suite with its bathroom and small study. A left and then another left from the front entrance led to the kitchen, tucked off the living room. A peninsula counter that doubled as a kitchen table divided the two rooms. The space wasn’t ideal for entertaining large parties, but for an intimate dinner it was perfect.

He turned around and looked at the living room in its pristine state. The walls were painted a soft moss color and the moldings and woodwork were a glossy white. A fireplace dominated the wall opposite the kitchen; if it were cooler out, Nalin would have lit it, but as it was, it was only cool enough to keep the air-conditioning off and the windows open. On either side of the fireplace were two built-in bookcases filled with part of Jason’s library. There were more built-in bookcases, likewise filled, in the bedroom and study.

“Hello?”

“C’mon in, I’m in the kitchen.” Nalin reached into an overhead cabinet for two wine glasses.

“Sorry I’m late! I got hung up on patient callbacks. Nice place!” he said in a rush of words.

He came into the kitchen his head swiveling around. “Oh a skylight!” Doctor Drew exclaimed looking up at the ceiling above Nalin’s head.

“There’s one in the living room, too.” Nalin eased the cork out of the bottle of white. Doctor Drew craned his neck and looked at the living room ceiling.

“This place is great!” he repeated. He turned to Nalin. “I didn’t know what to bring.”

“You didn’t need to bring anything.”

“So I got these -- they’re awesome.” He held out a slim royal blue box. “They’re dark chocolate and sea salt."

He’d brought chocolates. Nothing said ‘date’ better than chocolates.

“What, no flowers?” Nalin deadpanned.

Doctor Drew blanched.

“Kidding,” Nalin said, pouring out two glasses. “So, Doctor, do you have a first name?” he asked, sliding a wine glass across the granite countertop.

“Oh, Drew is my first name. Is it okay if I call you by yours?” He picked up the glass uncertainly.

Nalin nodded his head.

“So, this is a white wine from New York State,” Nalin said. “A dry riesling.” He took a sip and watched Drew take a cautious one, watched a flicker of pleasure pass over his face before he swallowed.

“Wow. I’ve never had anything like this!”

“Do you like it?”

“I do!” 

Nalin felt a tension he didn’t even know was there release from his shoulders. “Tell me what you taste.”

Drew knit his brow. “Fruit. Not like grapes, though. I mean, I know wine is made from grapes.” He took another sip. “It’s citrus-y.”

Nalin put a small cheeseboard with a generous sliver of Camembert on it out on the counter. He cut a few slices off a baguette and added them to the platter.

“That’s good,” he said, which earned him one of Drew’s brilliant smiles. As they continued to drink the Riesling and nibble on the cheese, he told Drew about the winery the wine came from and how its location, climate, and the composition of the soil affected the taste of the wine and how the taste could vary from year to year depending on the weather. Drew hung on every word, his eyes shining. 

Normally that kind of adoration would piss Nalin off, but the wine was good and Drew was pleasing to the eye and just an all around nice guy. He made Nalin feel safe, like he would respect Nalin’s boundaries. Of course, psychopaths had some of those same qualities, but they weren’t usually found in caring professions. Except for a random nurse here and there that Nalin would read about when he scanned the tabloids while waiting on the supermarket checkout lane.

“What made you decide to become a vet?” he asked, mindful that he’d been dominating the conversation.

While Nalin prepared dinner and let the malbec breathe, Drew told him his story and how he’d always felt more comfortable around animals. He’d grown up on a farm in rural New York, close to the Canadian border. He didn’t remember his parents; they were missionaries who disappeared without a trace in the Amazon jungle, leaving him with an eccentric aunt who ran an alpaca farm and lived off the wool and by offering alpaca treks to tourists who were looking for something to do out of the ordinary. He’d grown up friendless, but not unhappy, and when he’d graduated from his small regional high school at the top of his class his aunt informed him that before they died, his parents had invested a small sum of money into a trust for his college education. They’d invested well, because there was enough for him to go to any school that accepted him. He opted for four years at the local state school. This allowed him to save the bulk of his inheritance for Cornell’s veterinary program and he was also able to assist the local veterinarian who not only cared for livestock but also had a small animal practice.

“You’re a far cry from your home town,” Nalin observed.

Drew shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, well, I never felt I fit in there. I thought I could kind of blend in here better, if you know what I mean.”

Nalin knew all about not fitting in. In the small town he grew up in on the east end of Long Island, he’d been a loner, too. He clenched his teeth, remembering the insults and aspersions that were cast about his sexuality. He’d stuck it out, only because he could and did beat the most blatant of his tormenters to a bloody pulp. It almost earned him an expulsion from school, but his father had intervened, defending Nalin vehemently and threatening the district with a lawsuit. His behavior had shocked Nalin, who, while growing had felt much affection from his dad, had often felt that his free-spirited father would have been better off unsaddled with the responsibilities of a socially awkward child. Nalin never spoke about these things to anyone; even Jason, who knew him better than any other living person, knew nothing about Nalin’s past except that his father -- his only living relative -- had died when Nalin was sixteen. 

He told Drew all this over their meal. When he was done, instead of feeling embarrassed or at least self-conscious, to his amazement, he felt relief. 

“It’s easy to--“

“Talk to you.” Drew finished his statement. “I never told anyone that stuff before,” he added. 

Nalin nodded his head. “I haven’t, either.”

In the silence that followed, Nalin considered the implications of their confessions. Then he watched as Drew pushed his plate away and grinned big. 

“That was the best meal I’ve ever eaten,” he declared, immediately lightening the mood.

“What kind of food do you usually eat?” Nalin asked as he began to clear the table. Drew jumped up to pitch in.

“Most anything that you can stick in a microwave.”

Nalin squinted. “You eat that crap with a body like yours?” he blurted. 

Drew didn’t even blink. “I keep in shape by running.”

Nalin loaded the dishwasher, refusing to meet Drew’s gaze. He couldn’t believe he’d just said that.

“How do you keep in shape?”

“I don’t eat like this every night, for one thing. But there’s no excuse for eating that pre-packaged crap. You live in one of the best places in the world for a good meal.”

“Yeah, but I’m saving as much money as I can, as fast as I can. I want to open up my own clinic some day. Someday _soon_.”

Nalin poured the last of the Malbec between their glasses. “So what did you think of it?”

“I liked it. A lot. But not as much as you.”

“You’re drunk.”

“An’ you’re beautiful.”

Nalin snorted. He closed the dishwasher door and took a healthy sip of his wine. Drew drained his glass.

“Ya probably hear that a lot.”

Nalin shrugged his shoulders. “Only by morons. Or drunks,” he added quickly.

“At least you’re not denying it. I knew it the second I met you.”

Nalin thought back to how he’d looked that morning. “You’re even drunker than I thought.”

“But I won’t be tomorrow and you’ll still be beautiful.”

“Your pickup lines suck.” 

And they did, but it didn’t stop Nalin from leaning in towards Drew. The movement could have been interpreted as aggressive, and he expected that Drew would back away. Nalin was surprised when Drew surged forward instead. Their lips met -- awkward at first -- but then Drew slipped his arms around Nalin’s waist and tilted his head up. A rush of desire rippled through Nalin and he pushed past Drew’s lips and was rewarded by Drew opening his mouth further with a soft groan. 

It turned out that Drew was a fantastic kisser. At times his mouth became soft and Nalin was given free rein to plunder and then the tables would turn and Drew would invade his mouth. Nalin grabbed Drew’s ass and pulled him against him; he liked the way Drew molded against his body. 

They finally broke for air when Nalin felt the floor slanting away from under his feet. He grabbed onto the counter he’d been leaning against to steady himself. Drew looked up at him, his eyes slightly glazed and his lips swollen and glistening.

“Whoa,” he said quietly.

“Indeed.” Nalin breathed out, his heart still pounding.

“I--I think I’d better go,” Drew said, though he stayed where he was. Before Nalin could react, he added, “Got an early day tomorrow.” There was disappointment in his voice. Nalin nodded his head. Drew nuzzled against his neck and nipped the skin just under the juncture where it met Nalin’s jaw, then he pulled away with obvious reluctance. “I had a really nice time tonight.” He touched the side of Nalin’s face, his fingertips sliding over the contour of his jaw. Nalin cupped Drew’s chin and thumbed over his lips, enjoying the way Drew’s eyelids fluttered shut in response. 

“I did too.”

Drew smiled and he turned toward the entrance to the apartment. He stopped at the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room. “Oh, we never got to dessert,” he said. He looked at the chocolates and then at Nalin.

“Some other time.”

“I’d like that,” Drew said.

Nalin followed him to the door. Before Drew could open it, Nalin pinned him against it for one more kiss.

 

NALIN WOKE up from the best night’s sleep he’d had in years. He’d fallen asleep soon after jerking off while imagining that Drew was once again in his arms. 

There was a text message on his cell when he checked to see what time it was.

_’Everything about last night was awesome. I hope I can see you again soon. – D’_

The message had come in a couple of hours earlier. Nalin thought about last night and the two amazing kisses he’d shared with Drew. Most of the men that Nalin had let kiss him had been awful at it. Typically a guy would practically stick his tongue down Nalin’s throat and flop it around like a fish out of water. At the same time, there would be a lot of pawing and grinding and Nalin would need to exert considerable effort to keep himself from biting the damn thing off while simultaneously kneeing the guy in the groin. From that standard experience, he’d pretty much given up dating, which he didn’t miss at all. 

Drew was different. He was the first person who didn’t make Nalin’s skin crawl when he thought about getting into bed with. Or, more accurately, waking up to the next morning. That was something of an eye-opener.

_’Okay,’_ he texted as a response. He put his head back on the pillow. He’d made the first moves, now it was up to Drew to follow through. He worried his thumbnail with his teeth. He was over-thinking it; he should just let whatever was going to unfold happen. If his father were alive, Nalin knew he’d be telling him to be proactive. Jason certainly had.

His cell buzzed. _’Tomorrow night?’_

It would have been his suggestion had the question come up so Nalin felt some relief. But he had to think of a place where they could meet; if he invited Drew over again, Nalin couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t sleep with Drew and he wanted to make sure he wouldn’t regret doing that. 

_’8th St. Winecellar @ 9’_

Nalin tossed aside the covers and got up to brew some coffee. When he came back into the bedroom, Drew had responded.

_’See you then!’_

 

DREW WAS waiting for Nalin outside the bar. He was sitting on a bench and, when he spotted Nalin, he jumped up and bounced in place on the balls of his feet.

“Hey,” he said smiling broadly.

His smile was infectious; Nalin grinned back.

“Have you been waiting long?”

“No, no not at all! I only got here a couple of minutes ago.”

The bar was below street level. Nalin led Drew down the stairs and into the space. It was an intimate place that Jason had turned him onto when it first opened, and Nalin usually stopped in whenever he was in the city on business. What he liked about the place was that the menu offered something for everyone, from pigs in blankets to seared ahi tuna to roasted pepper and portobello panini. In addition to a halfway decent wine list (high praise coming from Nalin); there was a full bar and several handcrafted beers on tap. Their timing was perfect. The happy hour crowd had filtered out and the dinner crowd had yet to arrive. Nalin was able to secure a table in the far corner, tucked away by the bar.

“This place is cool. I must have walked by it a million times and never even seen it,” Drew said as he took the seat with its back to the door, leaving the spot on the avocado colored suede banquette opposite for Nalin.

Nalin took his seat. His stomach was fluttering and he was both disappointed and relieved that he hadn’t asked Drew to meet at the apartment. They definitely wouldn’t have made it out to a restaurant. 

“This place has a decent bar menu and you can get beer if you like,” he said, picking up one of the menus on the table. 

“I’d like wine again if that’s all right.”

Drew insisted that Nalin order them both wine and after a moment’s indecision he ordered the Black Angus sliders. Nalin ordered a cheese platter to share along with a Spindrift pinot noir from Oregon’s Williamette Valley.

Nalin had been concerned that things would be awkward between them after the kisses they’d shared the other night. But he soon realized that there was nothing to worry about; as they progressed through their meal the conversation ebbed and flowed in a comfortable manner -- as if they were a pair of old friends.

The bar grew crowded and then the crowd thinned as they shared a second bottle. Drew wanted to know more about Nalin’s vineyard and what it was like running a winery. 

“I don’t really know any other life,” he explained. “It’s where I grew up. My earliest memories are playing among the grape vines.”

“I’d like to see it some day.”

“You can come out for a visit any time.”

“Really?”

“No, I always issue invitations that I don’t mean,” Nalin snapped.

Drew was oblivious to his irritation. “I’d like that.”

The check materialized at Nalin’s elbow. He opened the bifold that contained it. Drew reached across and snatched it from his hand. 

“This one’s on me,” he said brightly before Nalin could argue.

While they waited to settle up, Drew updated Nalin on Miss Kitty’s progress.

“I think she should be ready to go home the day after tomorrow. She’s stable and eating and we’ve got her sugar levels under control.”

“So that’s it?”

“Yeah, she’ll have to come back periodically to make sure the insulin’s working. But usually once we stabilize them, the insulin dose doesn’t change.”

“How does she get the insulin?”

“Subcutaneous injections.”

“Who does that?”

“The pet owner.”

Nalin felt the color drain from his face. He shook his head. “I can’t.”

“Sure you can. It’s really easy. I’ll show you how.” Drew must have seen he was getting nowhere. “It doesn’t hurt the cat. I promise.”

“It’s not that.” Nalin frowned. “I’m allergic, remember?” He’d seen too many needles poking and prodding his father while he wasted away from cancer. Even though his father had borne all of the tests and chemotherapies with his usual good humor; in the end, none of it had helped. Nalin had watched helplessly as he got sicker and sicker and more needles were fed into his veins, the final IV being morphine for the excruciating pain. 

“When does your friend get back from his vacation?” Drew’s question jarred Nalin from his memories.

“In ten days.” 

“That’s not too long. We’ll work something out,” Drew said quietly. He reached across the table and squeezed Nalin’s upper arm reassuringly. Nalin guessed that Drew wasn’t buying his excuse, but he wasn’t going to argue the point.

It was difficult to leave the bar and even harder to walk away from Drew. It didn’t feel right and it only increased the level of yearning Nalin felt. He could sense Drew was feeling it too; he dragged his heels all the way outside.

“I guess I should call it a night,” he said finally. “Early day and all.”

Something stopped Nalin from inviting Drew back to Jason’s apartment. The sidewalk was busy; pedestrians sidestepped and flowed around them like they were two islands in a stream. Nalin stuffed his hands in his pockets. Drew’s disappointment was palpable. 

He wanted to invite Drew home but he was both terrified of what Drew might take that to mean and pissed that he was so scared. “You could come back to my place.”

Drew smiled. He reached up and pushed a stray lock of hair off Nalin’s cheek and tucked it behind his ear. 

“I’m gonna have to take a raincheck.”

Nalin swallowed hard. He was relieved, but the relief was tinged with disappointment. His lips tingled reminding him acutely of their kisses. He felt Drew’s hand slide through his hair and cup the back of his head and then Drew’s breath puffed against his cheek as he pulled Nalin’s face close to his. Nalin anchored his hands on Drew’s hips.

“It’s really hard for me to walk away from you tonight, but I have to,” Drew murmured before he kissed Nalin again. This one was intense and way too short. After they separated, Nalin watched Drew until he turned left at 5th Avenue and headed uptown.

 

TWO DAYS later Nalin was back in the examining room, ostensibly to be tutored in giving Miss Kitty her injections.

He got as far as watching Drew prepare the hypodermic needle and bleed out the air bubbles before his knees nearly gave out and he had to sit down. Nalin was visibly shaking, and he didn’t care what Drew or Danny thought of him; there was no way he was giving the cat her shots.

“She’s really fine to go home.”

“Look I’ll pay you -- or pay someone -- to come to the apartment and give her the shots.”

Drew knitted his brow. 

“Or I’ll just pay to board her until my friend gets home.”

Drew pursed his lips and Nalin squirmed inwardly, expecting to be coerced or worse, shamed into giving the cat injections. 

"It's really better for her to be in familiar surroundings,” Drew said after a few moments. “I suppose I could stop by on my way after work.” 

The relief was immediate. “Thank you, Doctor.”

“Take her home now.” Danny managed to entice Miss Kitty into the soft carrier that Nalin had found neatly stored in Jason’s linen closet. “An’ I’ll swing by later.”

The exchange had been professional, but the atmosphere in the small room was charged. That Danny was oblivious to the sexual tension between Nalin and Drew was beyond Nalin.

He hoisted the strap of cat carrier onto his shoulder and for once in her wretched life the animal did not growl or hiss at him. Miss Kitty was quiet all the way home and when Nalin unzipped the carrier she didn’t bolt for cover. Instead she rubbed against his legs a few times and then systematically investigated every corner of the apartment before curling up in the center of the bed.

Nalin stuck his tongue out at the little shit, but then smiled. If it hadn’t been for her illness, he never would have met Drew.

Drew showed up in the early evening. Nalin hadn’t even thought of eating dinner. He had three bottles of wine open for tasting and was writing copious notes in an old spiral notebook.

After giving Miss Kitty her injection and washing up, Drew looked on curiously; Nalin closed the book automatically.

“I didn’t mean to bother you.”

“It’s not that, it’s a habit. I don’t like people reading over my shoulder and stealing ideas. It’s a stupid reaction,” he added.

He offered a glass to Drew and poured from the first bottle. As Drew sipped it, Nalin poured himself a glass and then recited the tasting notes he’d just written. He did the same with the second and third bottles.

“Is this all that you do?” Drew asked.

Nalin scowled. “Of course not! I’m not a lush.” Drew was wearing a dopey grin; he was teasing him. Nalin squelched the urge to kiss it off his face. “If you really want to know, I’ve been reading up on insects -- specifically wasps.”

“You have a wasp problem?”

“No, exactly the opposite. Apparently wasps are integral to wine-making.”

Nalin explained that wine grapes have a natural level of yeast in them, and recently some scientists in Italy traced that yeast to a species of wasp found in the region.

“That’s really cool!”

“So I’m trying to figure out what wasps are native to the north fork of Long Island.”

“Because you can’t just go importing wasps from Italy.”

“Exactly.”

Nalin liked Drew’s agile mind and his ability to keep up with him. He didn’t know why he was so surprised by that, given Drew’s level of education.

When Drew made to leave, Nalin made his move. He grabbed him by the tie.

“So Doctor Drew, are you off duty now?”

“T--technically. But I’m on call,” he managed before Nalin’s lips descended upon his. 

Almost immediately Drew’s back pocket began to vibrate. He broke the kiss to answer his cell; Nalin nuzzled his hair and absently listened to the one-sided conversation. It soon became apparent that an emergency was brewing. Drew began to pace as he listened to the answering service. He recited a telephone number, Nalin handed him a pencil and pad so he could write it down.

“I’m really sorry,” he said while he punched the number on the digital keypad. 

Nalin shrugged his shoulders. “Duty calls.”

“Duty sucks!” he grumbled. In the next breath he spoke brightly into his cell. “Hello Mrs. Thompson, this is Doctor Drew. What’s going on with Snowball?”

Nalin could hear the urgency in the tinny voice that responded. He almost felt bad for giving Drew those drinks. He set a pot of coffee on. Drew was just finishing up when Nalin poured two steaming mugs.

“Okay Mrs. Thompson, just bring him to the clinic. I’ll meet you there. It’s not a problem at all.” 

Between the next calls Drew made to secure assistance, Nalin managed to find out how Drew took his coffee (light and sweet) and worked on not feeling too disappointed that their evening was over before it had even begun.

“God this sucks,” Drew said, accepting the mug. He took a few hurried sips. “Not the coffee--the emergency,” he clarified.

“You could come back later,” Nalin offered.

“I don’t know how long I’m going to be, and I’m on tomorrow.” Drew drained the mug and set it on the counter.

“I see.” He wasn’t doing a very good job of it.

“Do you want to go out tomorrow night?”

“Sure. What did you have in mind?”

“ _Star Wars_ is playing at the Film Forum. I’ve never seen it on a big screen.”

“The original?”

“Yep!”

It had been one of his father’s favorite movies. Nalin remembered watching it with him on DVD many times. He probably still had it somewhere in the main house.

“I’ll come by around seven. And I promise I’ll make it up to you.” That statement made Nalin’s stomach flutter pleasantly. He reached for Nalin and pulled him close, placing teasing kisses at the corners of his mouth before he pressed their lips together for a more substantial kiss.

“I’m going to keep you to your word, _Doctor_ ,” Nalin said, a little breathlessly when they finally separated.

 

THE MOVIE let out and Nalin grabbed Drew’s hand firmly as they strolled down Houston Street. It was a beautiful late spring night with the barest hint of coolness in the air. They hadn’t been able to keep their hands off each other once the lights had been dimmed in the theatre. And, while they’d managed to keep from fucking each other right there in the seats, Nalin’s dick had been straining against the confines of his jeans for the better part of two hours. He felt like he was sixteen again, ruled by hormones and in the throes of his first crush. Of course, when he’d been sixteen there had been none of that; he’d kept to himself, done his best to avoid attention from girls and boys alike, and ignored his dick and its predisposition for erections.

“What d’ya want to do now?” Drew asked, sidestepping a couple that had stopped to look at a menu posted outside a restaurant. The sidewalk was crowded; it was peak time on a Saturday night.

“I’d like to go back to my place,” Nalin said, squeezing Drew’s hand.

“I’d like that, too.”

They turned north on Seventh Avenue and walked in silence, retracing the route they’d taken after Drew had stopped by Nalin’s earlier. When they reached the building, Nalin was tempted to take the stairs to the fourth-floor walkup two at a time. He willed himself to slow down and enjoy the anticipation that grew with each flight they climbed.

He opened the door and let Drew in first. From somewhere inside the apartment, Miss Kitty meowed, her cries growing louder as she approached. She adored the doctor, in spite of the fact that he stuck her with a needle each time he saw her. She rubbed against his legs affectionately and pointedly ignored Nalin. He walked past them both and into the living area.

“Are you thirsty?”

“Nah, I’m good. Nalin?”

“Yeah?” He turned around. Drew was standing where he left him, the cat swarming his legs. He had his hands stuffed in his pockets.

“I really like you.”

“I get that.”

“I mean, I really, really, like you.” Despite the inarticulateness, Nalin found Drew’s statement endearing. 

“It’s kind of obvious.”

“I want to make love to you.” He took a few steps toward Nalin.

“Is that so?”

“Uh huh.”

“I’m not a chick. I don’t want to be ‘made love to.’” Drew looked wounded. “I want you to fuck me,” Nalin said, his voice a low growl. He closed the distance between them, watching Drew’s face intently as his demand registered. He tangled his hands in Drew’s hair and ended the conversation with a forceful kiss.

Somehow they made it into the bedroom with their clothes on but shoes off, not long after Miss Kitty had given up vying for Drew’s attention and retreated to her favorite living room chair.

Drew reached for the hem of Nalin’s shirt and pulled it up and over his head. He stepped back. “I just want to look at you for a second.” Nalin warmed under Drew’s intense gaze. “You’re blushing.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“It’s okay, I think it’s cute.” He reached his hands out and skimmed them over Nalin’s chest. Nalin shivered; his whole body was shaking. Drew’s hands were warm, but gooseflesh rose on Nalin’s skin. Drew slid them lower, over the ridge of Nalin’s ribs and across the symmetrical planes of his abdomen. There they came to a stop, Drew’s fingertip just touching the waist of Nalin’s jeans.

“What are you waiting for?” he asked, planting his hands on Drew’s shoulders.

“Don’t be so impatient. I’m not on call tonight.”

“And tomorrow?”

Drew’s gaze shot up to meet Nalin’s. Nalin smiled at the surprised look. Nalin took the opportunity to fist the material of Drew’s t-shirt and yank it up over his head. He tossed the garment to the floor near where his own had landed.

“Evening things up?”

“Something like that.” 

Drew’s body was everything Nalin had daydreamed about. There wasn’t an ounce of flab on him. The muscles that rippled underneath his clear complexion were well-defined, but didn’t add any bulk to his slender frame.

Once again their mouths met, and Nalin guided Drew to the bed. Here Drew stopped to glance at the ceiling-to-floor built-in bookcases that occupied one wall.

“Your friend sure likes books!”

“Hm, would you rather explore his library?” Nalin teased, stepping back, his hands on his hips in mock consternation. 

“Hell no!” Drew exclaimed. 

He launched himself at Nalin and they fell back on the mattress, laughing. The close proximity, though, and skin sliding against skin soon had Drew’s attention focused on mapping out every contour of Nalin’s body. He explored it avidly with his hands, lips, teeth and tongue and Nalin arched his back, offering himself to Drew when he felt Drew’s mouth tighten over one taut nipple.

At the same time, Nalin slid his fingers through Drew’s soft hair before coursing his hands over his strong shoulders, shoulder blades and along the taper of his sides. Drew shifted his weight until he was on top of Nalin and he breathed a soft groan between his parted lips when their erections rubbed together. Drew came up on all fours and then knelt back. He thumbed open the button at Nalin’s waist and then pulled down his fly. Nalin’s cock sprung free and Drew grinned.

“Commando, I like that in a guy.”

Nalin’s snorted response was cut short as Drew palmed the length of his dick and thumbed over its moistened head.

“Mmm-hmm,” Drew breathed before crouching down and dipping his head. 

That Drew was so talkative in bed would have bothered Nalin more if he didn’t choose that moment to show him what else his mouth was good for.

“Fuck,” he hissed as heat engulfed the length of his cock and he fought the urgent desire to lift his hips and press deeper inside. He looked down the length of his body to see his dick disappearing into Drew’s mouth and didn’t think he’d ever seen anything so sexy.

While Drew sucked his cock, he worked his hand between Nalin’s legs and gently teased his opening, working one slender finger around it in feathery circles. The stimulation was almost too overwhelming; sweat bloomed over Nalin’s body. His pants were too constricting; he needed to be out of them. He yanked Drew away from his task and crushed their lips together, tasting the barest hint of salt as his tongue pressed deep into Drew’s mouth.

At the same time, Nalin undid Drew’s jeans and slid his a hand inside, under the elastic of his underwear and wrapped it around his erection. Drew’s skin felt as if it were on fire. As Nalin squeezed his length, he bit lightly on Nalin’s lower lip.

“I want you right now,” he whispered against Nalin’s skin.

“Then what are you waiting for?”

Drew’s replied with a laugh. He stood up, reached his hand in his pocket and produced a tube of lubricant and a condom.

“Oh, were you feeling lucky tonight?”

“Ever the optimist, that’s me.”

“Or, _opportunist_.” Nalin kicked off his jeans. He was naked now, but he didn’t feel self-conscious at all; he was too busy admiring Drew’s body. He couldn’t remember seeing anything more beautiful in his life.

“Am I taking advantage of you?” The question and the concern on Drew’s face brought Nalin up short; it was a stark contrast to the light-heartedness Nalin was used to. He was reminded of his first impression of Drew as someone who would not push or pressure him.

“No,” he said, licking his lips. He watched with growing anticipation as Drew slathered a healthy dollop of lubricant on his hands.

“’Cause I’m not a player.“

“I know that,” Nalin agreed. He reached out an arm as an opening. “You wouldn’t be here if that were the case.”

“I guess that’s good to know.” Drew said, climbing back on the bed. He nudged Nalin’s legs apart and positioned himself between them, then he hesitated.

It hadn’t occurred to Nalin that Drew may have been less cocksure than he let on. He sat up and leaned forward. He traced his fingers along the side of Drew’s face, down his neck and traversed one prominent collarbone. He followed the same path as his fingers with feather-light kisses. Nalin wanted to tell Drew that it meant a lot that he cared what he thought of him, but the words felt clunky on his tongue. He hoped his actions were enough reassurance.

They seemed to be, because Drew pushed him gently away until Nalin was reclined on the bed. Drew’s hand glided between Nalin’s legs and once again his finger teased Nalin’s entrance. This time it breached the opening.

Nalin gasped at the intrusion. At the same time his dick pulsed and precome leaked down the shaft. He felt the muscles spasm and relax as Drew prepared him; stretching the opening. Nalin’s breath came in great heaves, every nerve seemed on fire and he was more turned on than he had ever been. By the time Drew withdrew his fingers and Nalin felt the blunt head of his cock pushing inside, Nalin had been reduced to a writhing mess. He gripped Drew’s biceps and held on as if his life depended upon it as Drew slowly pushed in further and then withdrew.

It didn’t take him long to establish a rhythm. The slight burn Nalin felt at the start soon vanished. In its place was a gnawing need to feel completely filled by Drew. He wrapped his legs around Drew’s waist and squeezed. It was the only hint Drew needed. He shifted his position and slid deeper inside Nalin and his field of vision was momentarily obscured from white-hot stars exploding in front of his eyelids.

“Do that again,” he rasped, dizzy from the sensation. Drew buried his forehead into Nalin’s collar and maintained the rhythm. Each time he pushed in, Nalin felt closer and closer to coming.

When he did come, the intensity took him by surprise. Wave after wave of pleasure crashed over him. Drew rode out Nalin’s orgasm, finally coming as the last tendrils of Nalin’s were rocking his body. He collapsed on top of Nalin, still buried inside. Their bodies were both slick with sweat; Nalin felt Drew’s heart pounding against his chest, his own pulse was racing in his ears.

“You are amazing,” Drew said when he finally moved. He stood up and looked toward the bathroom. “I’ll be right back.” 

Nalin mumbled what could have been interpreted as an okay, but was more or less a grunt. He felt boneless, even though his stomach was sticky with cum, he couldn’t be assed to clean it up. He listened to the noises Drew made -- the snap of rubber and then the sound of the garbage can in the bathroom opening and shutting -- the faucet running, the sound of his feet softly padding back to the bed. 

Warmth spread over his abdomen. Nalin cracked an eye to see Drew swabbing him clean with a fluffy washcloth.

The tenderness of Drew’s expression threatened to overwhelm Nalin. In the various intimacies he’d experienced, he’d been objectified, coerced, pressured, but no one had ever taken care of him like this. The only person who had ever come close, and certainly not in the same context, had been his father.

“Hey, are you okay?”

Nalin cracked open an eye and nodded his head. Drew was standing, spent washcloth in his hand. He was still naked, but he was casting about the room looking for his clothes.

“I’m fine. More than fine.”

“That’s good. I thought I lost ya there for a moment.” He walked back to the bathroom and Nalin heard the water running again. When Drew returned, he reached for his jeans.

“Stay,” Nalin said. He rolled onto his side and patted the mattress next to him. Drew hesitated for a second, then dropped his pants. Nalin pulled back the bedding and slid between the sheets, Drew joined him there and Nalin turned out the light. Drew pressed his back against Nalin’s chest and Nalin spooned him. He stroked Drew’s side until he heard Drew’s breath become slow and even out. For a few moments more Nalin remained awake, thinking about everything that had transpired since he brought Miss Kitty to the vet, and it was good.

 

NALIN WOKE up to an empty bed but an apartment that smelled of coffee, bacon and eggs. While he couldn’t live without coffee, Nalin didn’t remember having bought either of the other things. 

He heard cabinets opening and closing in the kitchen, punctuated by Miss Kitty’s plaintive meowing.

He padded to the bathroom and took a piss. He was surprised that his body -- in particular, his ass -- wasn’t very sore at all. Drew had already showered, so Nalin followed suit, then put on a fresh tee-shirt and a pair of flannel bottoms before joining Drew in the kitchen. Drew was busy plating an enormous breakfast, he’d added toast to the menu. He was wearing his t-shirt and boxer briefs. Nalin would have snuck up on him but his stomach rumbled, giving him away.

“Good morning! Hungry?”

He hadn’t thought he was, but Nalin’s mouth was watering from the enticing aromas.

“Mm-hm. ‘Morning.” His copy of the _Times_ had been taken in and left on the counter, next to a steaming mug of black coffee. He took a seat.

“Ya didn’t have much in the way of breakfast so I ran down to the corner store and picked some stuff up.”

“It smells good.”

“An’ I didn’t know how you took your coffee.”

“Black is fine,” Nalin replied.

Drew was nervous. Nalin could tell just by the amount of energy he was expending on preparing the meal, and the dead giveaway was the way he shifted from one foot to the other whenever he stopped moving.

“What’s going on?” Nalin asked. Drew shot him a deer-in-headlights stare before he looked away.

“Nothing.”

Nalin scowled. “Something.”

Drew put his plate in front of him. His hand was shaking. “Was I … was I okay last night?”

He nearly spit out the sip of coffee he’d just taken. He swallowed it quickly and wiped his mouth on his napkin.

“You were great,” he said. “ _It_ was great. Breakfast is great, too,” he added. “Thank you.”

“’Welcome!” Drew said it just a tad too brightly. 

“What else?” Nalin asked. 

“Where is this going?”

“What do you mean, ‘this’?”

“This … us.” He chewed his lip and looked at Nalin. “I’ve never really had a boyfriend.”

Nalin shrugged. “I’ve never really been a boyfriend.” 

Drew looked stunned.

“What?” Nalin said, slightly defensively.

“But you’re so--“

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. I’m _so beautiful_. But I don’t like being someone’s possession.” He watched Drew carefully. “Which is a conundrum for me.”

“Why’s that?” Drew sounded guarded.

“Because I like being with you.” That won Nalin a huge smile. “We’ll work it out,” he added. And he meant it. Somehow he would learn to be a better boyfriend, Drew was worth that investment. “So, I thought you couldn’t cook,” he said, changing the subject. He picked up a forkful of scrambled eggs. They were excellent, not runny at all and were seasoned with at least a couple of herbs -- Nalin recognized oregano and thyme.

“Nah, I can cook. I just don’t do it when it’s just me eating. It kind of feels pointless cooking when there’s no one else to share a meal with.”

Miss Kitty took that moment to insert herself into their meal. She jumped up onto the counter, gave Nalin a wide berth and planted herself in front of Drew.

“I’m surprised your allergies aren’t acting up,” Drew observed, gently dislodging her from her perch.

“You see how Jason keeps this place, and he has a maid service, too,” Nalin explained.

“Yeah, it keeps the dander to a minimum,” Drew agreed distractedly. “Nalin, can I ask ya something?”

“What is it?” He couldn’t imagine what other ground they needed to cover at the moment.

“Can I try some of your wine -- wine that _you_ made -- today?”

Drew must have seen the bottles in Jason’s collection. Nalin’s first instinct to tell Drew that he shouldn’t be snooping in someone else’s house sounded too defensive, especially after he’d gone through the trouble of cooking breakfast. He dismissed his second thought -- that he couldn’t delve into Jason’s cache -- as lame excuse it was.

“Is there a reason why you don’t want me trying it?” Drew asked perceptively. And suddenly the reason why Nalin had not shared his own winery’s output seemed childish.

He shrugged. “Not really.” Then he decided to come clean. “Actually, something. It’s stupid. I was worried you wouldn’t like it. I’ll pick something out later.”

“You aren’t worried anymore?” 

Nalin thought about it. “No, I’m not.”

“Will you go over your tasting notes, too? I really want to know more about your life.”

Normally, someone nosing into his personal story would have irritated Nalin, but surprisingly, he didn’t mind. There were a lot of things that should have irritated him about Drew, but more surprisingly they didn’t.

“There really isn’t much to know,” he said. “Boy grows up on a farm with his dad, dad dies, boy follows in dad’s footsteps.”

“Your dad must have been something special.” Drew sounded wistful.

Nalin could have lied then, tried to make Drew feel better about having never known his parents, but he couldn’t bring himself to diminish his father’s memory and he had too much respect for Drew.

“I never talk about him,” he said slowly. “But he was. He would have liked you.”

That brought another smile to Drew’s face. “I think I would have liked to have met him. I could tell him what a great kid he has.”

Nalin laughed at that and shook his head. He tried to see himself as Drew did, but it wasn’t happening. “I think you bring out the best in me.”

He stood up and cleared his dishes, scraping the remnants of his meal and then putting the dirty plate and utensils into the dishwasher. Drew made to clean up.

“Uh-uh-unh, you cooked, I clean,” Nalin admonished, taking the dishes from Drew’s hands. He washed the omelet pan, then wiped down the countertop, all the while feeling Drew’s eyes on him. 

He got out two balloon wine glasses from an overhead cupboard, then pulled a bottle out of Jason’s cellar.

“One of the problems Long Island wineries have had is competing with French and Californian red wines. We can make decent merlots, but most serious wine drinkers turn their noses up at them -- mostly because they don’t age well -- they have to be drunk pretty young.” He eased the cork out of the bottle and then slowly poured it into a teardrop-shaped decanter.

“Why’re you doing that?” Drew asked.

“Have you ever heard about letting a wine breathe?” Nalin asked. Drew shook his head. “That’s what I’m doing with this one. When you decant it like this, the air mixes with it and opens it up -- releases flavor.

“My father thought that with the right blend of merlot and cabernet franc grapes, he could produce a red that ages. Wines that age well grow more complex, wines that don’t age well turn to vinegar.”

He showed Drew the label. “This vintage was his first and last attempt.”

“It’s ten years old?” 

Nalin nodded his head.

“Did it work?”

“You can tell me in about an hour.”

“What’re we gonna do in the meantime?” Drew asked, licking his lips. His eyes darted toward the bedroom.

Nalin pulled him into an embrace and kissed him thoroughly. Taking Drew’s hand, he tugged it gently and led him toward the bedroom. “I’m sure we’ll think of something.”


End file.
